Five questions with veteran guitarist-songwriter Dick Wagner

November 8, 2012

Chris Walter

Ben Edmonds, Free Press special writer

Back in the 1960s, when armies of warring giants roamed the Michigan music landscape, Dick Wagner was among our most talented warriors. In his bands the Bossmen (Saginaw's Beatles) and the Frost, he wrote, arranged and sang the songs, produced the records, and played a mean guitar. He also booked the gigs and conducted business for these bands. If they'd had the modern concept of merchandising back then, Wagner probably would have sold the T-shirts, too.

In the following years Wagner became known as a master collaborator. His fiery guitar enriched recordings by Lou Reed, Alice Cooper, Peter Gabriel and scores of others. Some of his best performances were anonymous contributions to records by the Alice Cooper band, Kiss and Aerosmith. His most fruitful relationship has been with Cooper. Wagner led the singer's touring band, and co-authored the hits (including "Only Women Bleed" and "I Never Cry") that established a platinum foundation for Cooper's solo career.

At the same time, Wagner indulged an insatiable appetite for self-destruction, relentless addictions to drug and sex that cost him his business, his bank account, his families and very nearly his life. The highs and lows are unflinchingly recounted in his new memoir "Not Only Women Bleed." He is promoting the self-published book -- an impressive package that comes with two CDs of music -- with a series of readings and short acoustic performances. He'll be at Barnes & Noble in Green Oak Twp. near Brighton on Saturday and Book Beat in Oak Park on Sunday. His concert at Callahan's Music Hall in Auburn Hills on Nov. 17 will find him fronting a full band and revisiting the highlights of his half-century in music.

Having just turned 70 (and now living in Arizona), and having survived heart attacks, and triple-bypass and brain surgeries, Wagner has achieved something that once was unthinkable: longevity. This rock 'n' roll warrior is going the distance.

Question: Instead of taking the traditional route, why did you decide to write and publish the book yourself?

Answer: I wanted to keep things under my control. I talked to a couple of publishers, but they started making changes to the manuscript. It threatened to lose my voice ... and I just couldn't have that. It's a very personal book, and I needed to tell it my way.

Q: You're forthright in detailing your decades of self-destruction, but don't dwell nearly as much on your recovery. How did you finally beat your addictions?

A: I just realized one day that I had to decide whether I was going to live or die, and I chose to live. I quit cold turkey and have never looked back. You can beat these things. I didn't go to any rehab, but being surrounded by people who love you is a tremendous help. I'm not ashamed of my behavior then. I was in the grip of deep, deep addictions. What I can't believe is that I actually told people cocaine was good for your creativity. In the end it's only a killer.

Q: What does it take to be a great collaborator?

A: You have to listen, and you have to be willing to be wrong. You've got to be able to change. Too many rock 'n' rollers have egos that don't allow them to collaborate. My ego is as healthy as the next guy's, but I guess I'm just easy to get along with.

Q: I can understand why Alice Cooper and Kiss might require your anonymous services, but Aerosmith was a bit of a surprise. What does it take to become a great uncredited collaborator?

A: A thick skin. (Laughs.) Aerosmith was a surprise to me too. I didn't find out until halfway through the session whose tracks I was playing on. (Wagner added solos to "Train Kept A-Rollin' " and "Same Old Song and Dance" on the "Get Your Wings" album.) Many, many years later, I took my sons to see Aerosmith. While we were backstage Steven Tyler made a point of introducing me, loud enough for my sons to hear, as "the guy who helped us sell millions of records." That made me feel really good.

Q: "Remember the Child" might be your best song. How did it come about?

A: I was living in New York City when I got a call from my first wife in Texas. She was involved with the San Antonio Coalition on Child Abuse. She said I was still her favorite songwriter, and asked if I would write something for her group. I sat at the piano and the old song "Ring Around the Rosie" popped into my head. I played that melody until something else began to emerge. It started with the line "ABC me crying," and I tried to keep that childlike simplicity throughout.

I made a cassette and sent it to my ex-wife. She called, and my son Michael, who I hadn't spoken to for years -- he wouldn't talk to me -- got on the phone and said, "Dad, that's the greatest song ever." That alone made it worthwhile.

More Details: 'Motor City Music' helps feed the hungry

Among the projects closest to Dick Wagner’s heart is “Motor City Music,” the song he wrote to celebrate the legacy of Detroit’s greatest non-automotive export. It was recorded last year with some of the city’s brightest rock and soul luminaries, among them Jim McCarty, Ray Goodman, Johnny (Bee) Badanjek, Pat Lewis, Muruga Booker and Jimmie Bones. It declares “I’m proud to be a hometown boy,” and Wagner is backing his talk with charitable action.

He told Brian Pastoria of Harmonie Park studios, where the track was recorded, that he wanted the proceeds to go to a local charity. Pastoria introduced him to Brother Al Mascia, a Franciscan friar who dispenses aid to disadvantaged people from his bicycle cart.

According to Wagner, “We musicians hope to provide Brother Al revenue needed to purchase the materials that are delivered day to day in this ministry, and to raise awareness of the spirit of generosity alive and moving within the city of Detroit.”

The song is available through iTunes, Amazon and other digital outlets, and a video was just posted on YouTube.